Time to Talk Day

#TimetoTalkDay is a day for people across England to have a conversation around mental health.

1 in 4 people experience a mental health problem in any given year, the most common being anxiety and depression. The purpose of this campaign is to end the stigma and discrimination that those with mental health face, by not only changing people’s attitudes, but their behaviours too.

Whether this is at work to help promote mental health awareness, or even to have a conversation with a family member or a friend, it can help end the misconceptions around mental health.

9 out of 10 people who experience mental health say they face stigma and discrimination, which in some cases can be worse than the symptoms themselves. There is a lot of stigma and discrimination surrounding mental health making it harder for people with a mental illness to work, make friends and lead a normal life. Stigma can often isolate people as they fear a negative reaction if they were to talk to a family member or a friend about it which in turn can exclude them from day-to-day activities like going shopping or joining a local social club. These factors combined can help avoid crisis by enabling those with mental health problems to seek help earlier on.

Quite often people aren’t familiar with the feelings of stigma and discrimination felt by those experiencing mental health problems, and are unaware they’re doing it, or simply, they just do not know what to say or how to help. A recent Time to Change survey revealed that 28% of people would feel awkward asking someone close to them about their mental health problem, when asked why, over half mentioned it was to avoid causing feelings of discomfort or embarrassment. Time to Talk Day’s main aim is to make conversations happen, gather and empower as many people as possible and encourage them to talk about mental health.

Small things can make a big difference in helping to end mental health discrimination. By simply talking, these tips can help diminish those feelings of awkwardness and not knowing what to say or how to help. It can be as simple as asking if someone would like to grab a cup of coffee or even sending a text to a friend asking how they are.

57% of BWC helpline clients reported a mental health condition in 2014/15 (comprising anxiety, stress and depression). BWC recognise the importance of supporting our clients to feel safe and to feel comfortable in asking for help and that is why BWC are proud to support and raise awareness of #TimetoTalkDay which takes place on Thursday 4th February 2016.